The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-24
FOR THE UNIvERSALIST.
A FORTNIGHT AMONG THE
IRISH.
BY MRS. CAROLINE A. soULE.
I'LL.

Everywhere on the road we saw carts
hauling the peats, and at every cabin was
the master building the peat stack, which,
as l have said before, is really an artistic
performance; utility and looks being
wonderfully blended, for it must be 80
built that it will shed rain and appear
we'll to the eyes. 1 can describe it no
better than to say that it ia beautifully
shaped pyramid, with two sides longer
than the others, though occasionally one
approaches the square pyramid in shape
They are SO high as to need long ladders
before the completion. And out Of these
brown piles of fuel what wondrous glory
will come as the long evenings draw the
household around the fire, which is
brought out further and further toward
the center of the room ss the cold grows
stronger. And one thing I learned
there about the peats that was funny;
the children, in the winter time, have
each TO carry two pests in their hands
every day to the school, and this daily
contribution enables the teachers to keep
up the requisite fire.
After tea we wandered again on the
road side, gathering the crimson tipt Cow
ans, Burns's darling little daley, which I
think love best of al the wild flowers
in these north countries. Gowans! they
tumble out of every book open now.
and I continually wonder how even the
great Creator could crowd 80 much
beauty into such little space Next to
gowaus, like the heather, and next to
that the blue-bells. It pays for many
day of 'misty, mostly" weather to get out
in the "gloaming" of fair day and gath
or the gowaus from off some pretty brae,
just as they are folding their petels into
sleep, for it is then you see the crimson
best while nothing is more charm
ing than lovely ramble over some
wild moor when it is purple with the
heather; or to ramble up and down
grassy "craig" to gather the blue, bells,
that nod to you m mute welcome. may
never see Italy with all it has TO offer,
but am intensely grateful that l have
seen Ireland and Scotland, with their
wild beauty and their ivy-crowned ruins.
The next day, Friday, we drove down to
Dunnamauagh, in the next county, Ty-
rome. know this name is spelt right, be-
cause / hunted it out on the map, but defy
any but an "Irish born" to sound the last
three letters correctly. tried and tried,
but finally gave it up, just az have given
up trying to pronounce properly, Auch.
termuchty and Auchterarder. We had
the easy scar" that had brought us in
from Derry, but another pony, such
wee bit of animation, and yet 40 strong
and so gentle, tool There were five of us.
three adults and two Juveniles, one of the
latter being our coachman, bright.
CHEEKY lad under twelve years of age-a
born horseman. They call the distance
five miles, but / know an American sur
veyor would make it seven. Not that we
minded much, everything was so charm
ing, the scent Of the honeysuekle going
with us nearly all the way, the hedges
each side being all tangled up with the
beautiful blossoms.
Dunnamauagh itself does not merit
word. 1t is an Irish hamlet though
boastingly calling itself market town,
because of its markets and fairs. I didn't
enjoy it bit, and never care to see it
again. But was interested in the cpl
sode-the turning little ont of our way
to visit "the eastle"-not an aged ruin,
fringedjwith wallhowers and bannerett-
ed with ivy, but q modern castle, built
within the last halt-century, a really mag
nifcent mansion, though not meeting
our ideas Of castle at all. l had heard
the story of it the night before, as we all
sat in the kitchen, around the blazing
peRt-fire, the open doors revealing a
witching darkness. When the laird de-
cided to build it, he chose place occu-
pied by cottare, who for generations had
dWelt there, and to whom every inch
was holy land. He ruthlessly, pitilessly
evicted them, laughing cruelty at their
sentimental notions, and feeling that he
did all required Of him by building new
and better cabins. But the eottars, men
and women whose hearts were stirred
with indignation at the sudden, sharp
wrench to their teelinge, cursed him, not
loud, bat deep; cursed him. his heirs, the
castle, everythingl And the curse took
effectl Mind you. tell the tale as it
was told to me. The building was erect
ed, magnificent in size and fair in pro-
portions; the grounds we're laid out and
planted with everything that would grow
there; the orchard became thing OF
beauty and promise in the springlime